Health and Safety (Hansard, 14 July 2003)

§ David Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the role competition can play in health and safety regulatory functions other than building control; and if he will make a statement. [123218]

§ Mr. Browne
[holding answer 4 July 2003]: The basic framework set out in the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974, places a duty to manage and control risk on those who create it and be responsible for the protection of workers and the public from any consequence of their work activity. Enforcement by health and safety inspectors is an essential element of the basic framework, which has stood the test of time. The possibility of contracting out health and safety inspection was however, considered and rejected in the course of the 1996 quinquennial review.

§ Ross Cranston
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 1 July 2003, ref 121171, when he expects to receive the report from the Health and Safety Commission. [123680]

§ Mr. Browne
We expect to receive the report from the Health and Safety Commission by the end of the year.

Mr. Michael Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of funding was for the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last 10 years. [122516]

§ Mr. Browne
The following table reflects the funding for the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1993–94: 75W

Health and Safety Executive funding

£ million

Cash budget¹ Resource budget

1994–95 188.4 —

1995–96 186.8 —

1996–97 ²179.5 —

1997–98 174.1 —

1998–99 175.7 —

1999–2000 180.6 —

2000–01³ 181.3 —

2001–02⁴ — 199.4

2002–03 — 210.4

2003–04 — 225.5

¹ The funding has been interpreted as the total amount voted by Parliament.

² On 1 April 1996 the accounting arrangements changed as the Health and Safely Laboratory was set up as a net running cost regime (separately identifiable for financial reporting purposes).

³ The budget for 2000–01 was the last under the cash budget system.

⁴ The increase in the funding was due to the introduction/ implementation of Resource Accounting and Budgeting in Government Departments. Under RAB, all departments produce budgets and accounts on an accruals basis, which include costs for depreciation, cost of capital and provisions for liabilities. Therefore, Resource Budgets for years from 2001–02 are not directly comparable with previous cash budgets.

Health and Safety Executive funding
£ million
	Cash budget¹	Resource budget
1994–95	188.4	—
1995–96	186.8	—
1996–97	²179.5	—
1997–98	174.1	—
1998–99	175.7	—
1999–2000	180.6	—
2000–01³	181.3	—
2001–02⁴	—	199.4
2002–03	—	210.4
2003–04	—	225.5
¹ The funding has been interpreted as the total amount voted by Parliament.
² On 1 April 1996 the accounting arrangements changed as the Health and Safely Laboratory was set up as a net running cost regime (separately identifiable for financial reporting purposes).
³ The budget for 2000–01 was the last under the cash budget system.
⁴ The increase in the funding was due to the introduction/ implementation of Resource Accounting and Budgeting in Government Departments. Under RAB, all departments produce budgets and accounts on an accruals basis, which include costs for depreciation, cost of capital and provisions for liabilities. Therefore, Resource Budgets for years from 2001–02 are not directly comparable with previous cash budgets.